Page 29 of The Woodcarver's Model
“Come on, Rufus. You don’t want to miss this,” Mitch yelled. The dog bounded out of the darkness and was greeted with cries of “Rufus!” “Come here, boy!” “Where have you been hiding yourself, fella?”
The light of the solstice-day sun was growing, and with it the ocean of stars overhead began to disappear and Rob felt sad. “They’re all melting away.” He reached up to grab as many as he could and stuff them into his pocket for later.
At this point, an older fellow with a great white beard lifted his fiddle to his chin and began to play a haunting refrain. The people continued to gather, with Maggie in front, as the sun crept up over the horizon. Maggie raised her hands to the sun and sang.
“As the sun she rises, sweet Gaia,
let your light shine on us all,
and cleanse us with the warmth of your rays,
the brightness of your love,
the radiance of your joy,
the shining of your hope.
Let your light shine on us
as the sun she rises, sweet Gaia.
Let your light shine on us all.”
She lowered her arms and the robe she was wearing slipped from her shoulders and left her in all her beauty. Then others followed—young, and old, and everyone in between—baring themselves as she had done.
“Come on,” said Mitch as he began to undress. The tempo of the music picked up. The fiddle was joined by recorders, and drums and chanting. Everyone began to dance.
“Sure.” Rob stripped down and flung himself into the music. He was without self-awareness, free of all inhibitions.
“I told you he’d be good,” hollered Maggie who danced with the fervour of a twenty-year-old, her glorious folds and curves swaying independently of each other. The collected worshippers, like modern-day druids, moved to the rhythms of the music until the sun was above the horizon, then many flopped onto the grass while others dressed and got on with their lives.
“Are you having fun?” Mitch asked Rob.
“This is wild. I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”
“Where else could you say that you danced naked with the mayor?”
“Hey, look—isn’t that sculpture guy?”
“Eric? Yeah, that’s him. Well, I guess now is as good a time to meet him as any,” Mitch said. “Eric,” he yelled. “Come here. I want to introduce someone to you.”
And Eric, in all of his naked glory, except for a garland of flowers around his head, wove through the crowd and came to Rob.
“Eric. I’d like you to meet my friend Rob.”
“Pleased to meet you.” He extended his hand and Rob just giggled and threw his arms around him in a big stoner hug and gave him a kiss.
“Crap, you feel just like your statue.”
“A little less wooden, I hope.”
“I don’t know. Let’s see.” Rob separated from the model and looked down at his swelling penis. “Nope, pretty much the same.”
“I’m sorry, he’s a little…wrapped up in the moment,” Mitch explained.
“And the drugs, it seems.”
“I’d better get him dressed and back home.”
